Beginnings
by JTheGoblinKing
Summary: An old Labyrinth fan fiction story about Jareth's origin


Disclaimer: The following is an old Labyrinth fan fiction I wrote for a Labyrinth fan fiction group years. Labyrinth belongs to Henson. Most, if not all, of the Labyrinth fan fiction I am going to post here is at least ten years old, if not older. You will see the original dates they were written placed into these documents. These fan fictions predate the canon of Return to Labyrinth.

To: .

Subject: [labyfic] Beginnings Par 1of 10

From:

Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 19:35:15 EST

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The Beginnings:

The truth of my origins as I recall it:

By Jareth

The year was eight hundred and eighty six AD. It was in Scotland

that a rather small Celtic tribe lived. It was a small group of people who

practiced the ancient ways of the goddess.

Unfortunately for my childhood hours the Celtic translation of

"Jareth" means one born of royal blood AND one with abnormalities or problems

of The Genitalia.

My father, or rather the man that I had known to be my father was

rich settler from the outskirts of Britannia. He had had come there from a

far over two decades ago to help with the secret preservation of the ancient

beliefs against the knowledge of the Christian church who had been attempting

to convert these people to the beliefs of the majority. It was the will of

God, or so they had said.

Now, the man that I had known to be my father for the most part of

my human life was there to help preserve the dying beliefs for the future

generations of this ancient tribe. The Christians had called what these

people did a sacrilege but then again was it not sacrilege against these

people to denounce their beliefs?

I was turning the human age of twenty-one that day that this tale

begins upon.

I had spent my whole life there in the bosom of the tribe with my

Celtic mother's family and my British father. At this time I knew very

little to nothing at all about the outside world. My mother had died upon

giving birth to my self and my fraternal twin Christine. I had never known

her. (I had not known yet but my real father stole away my moments younger

sister, Christine and had sent her to grow up on another world where time

moves quite differently then on Earth or The Underground. He had also stolen

all memories of those around of her existence. I would not meet her for many

years after I would discover notes and journal entree my father had in

relation to her existence.) My mother's family had considered me my mother's

last great achievement in life and loved me dearly. I had never known her,

my mother. I was treated well and never reminded of blame for her death but

only of the good that was her life. My father, or rather the man that I had

known to be my father had often told me that I surely was destined for

greatness but these idle promises meant very, almost nothing to me.

I had a fondness for music like no other boy, in my youth. I

also had a passion for art and any form of emotional or personal expression.

I had been told more then once by men as well as women that I had the precise

and active hands of a craft's man. I knew how to play the harp, the lute,

and the horn. I did not need to be taught these things. It was a gift from

the God Apollo from birth that such things were very nearly instinct to me.

I could sing and dance as well as any and yet there always had seemed a

great magick to the way that I could sing as if my voice could entrance and

enthrall another.

I had been told and believed as I still do that I had a voice

like no other but perhaps that was do to my inherent combination of cultures.

But what all the people of my little tribe knew was that there was something

very odd and yet very special about that boy, that I had been and it was

definitely not just do to my culturally diverse up bringing.

Now near the shore line where this, my small tribal village existed

there was a great cliff and if one was to dare climb down about twenty or so

feet you would come across a group of very old, ancient deep caves set in to

the Earth.

Often I would dare to slip away in the dead of night from my father's

home and climb down this dangerous cliff line and slip away into the caves.

This was usually to meet with my lover.

From the way people had acted around me I must assume that I had

been a very charming young man. I had long blond hair as I do now though

then fashioned differently. Now for some strange reason that I could not yet

understand I had one overly dilated deep blue eye and one not so dilated

grayish blue eye that was as icy and as cold as the ocean waves. Some said

that my mismatched eyes were a sign of magick that flowed in my veins within

my very blood. Though I loved these wild rumours at the time I put little

merit into their meaning.

I was tall and thin.

I was a very attractive young man and yet something was always the

matter. I am not so sure what it had been. I was never happy, that boy that

I had been. I was restless.

I disliked my father and though I should have been contented in

my secluded little world where I was so loved I hated my home. I simply

wanted more. I was greedy, restless. Though I was never mistreated by

anyone, I simply did not like the way of my life all that much. I grew weary

of it's dull, repeating simplicity. I always longed for something more out

of life though I was never quite so sure what it was that I was always

searching for in life that seemed so desperately important. I held within

myself a restless soul. I simply could not help that.

I was restless; I was born hungry. And lately until the point of

this tale I had been having the most peculiar dreams about wandering a maze

of walls, covered in bloodied thorned vines as serpents slithered around my

feet in this nightmarish night time plane. I dreamt of being lost in a great

Labyrinth and I did not know what to make of these odd, surreal dreams.

Now, it was my birth date that this story truly takes place on. I

was turning twenty-one. It was the anniversary of my birth and of my

mother's death. It was January thirteenth by the modern Julian Calendar, I

would only think by estimation. And so I cautiously slipped away when my

father and companions were not looking and I slipped away to the caves to

meet with my secret love, Sarah MacCoowie. I loved Sarah dearly and she was

very special to me. She was the only thing that I held of value in that

world.

Sarah was eighteen. She had long brown hair that curled down her

back. She had green eyes that were as big and as bright as those of a cat.

She was tall and kind. I had loved her dearly. I had loved no girl as I had

loved Sarah.

I went through the village on the back of my favourite horse,

Hoggle. I raced to get to the cliffs to meet with my beloved Sarah and to

escape the little crowd that had been waiting for me back at my home.

I loved that horse. It was my prize. I had owned that

particular horse since I was about ten years old. My father had given it to

me as a present. It was brown and sleek.

When I could hear the splashing waves slap against the wall of rocks

I knew that I was there. When I was only about ten yards from the cliff line

I leapt off of my horse and tied it to a near by tree.

It was a windy, cool day and my hair rushed around and whipped my

face, whipping me by the hand of the wind.

I could smell the salt water. If I shut my eyes today I can still

image it all as it had happened in perfect, crystal detail. The wind tangled

in my hair as it brushed in to my face and obstructed my vision. I was very

deeply in love. My heart raced at the thought of seeing Sarah again though I

had only seen her just yesterday.

I walked calmly to the edge of the cliff line. I got down on to my

knees and I turned my back towards the watery horizon as I carefully made my

way down the cliff rock by rock to reach the caves. I grabbed stone after

stone and with my booted feet found cracks and holes just big enough to slide

my feet in. Like a spider I made my way to my awaiting love who more then

likely hated the little dangerous climb to my secret place, the underground.

The back of my shirt got caught on a hanging branch but quickly I

pulled free and so with my knees coated in dirt and my hair tangled in my

face I climbed down in to the dark, damp cave.

I slid through on my belly but once inside I could easily stand at

full height. The flickering of a fire light from deep within drew me deeper

in to the cavern. The flames lapped and licked at a distance from me. I

could hear the crackling of the dried kindling branches from a distance.

Sarah stood over the fire warming herself as the January air chilled

her to the bone. She was in a long white dress and her hair was behind her

in a white ribbon. She seemed to me as innocent as a child yet as lovely as

a woman and as kindly and wise as the great goddess.

I stepped closer to my beloved so that she could see my face

clearly in the firelight.

She was down on her knees in front of the fire as she stared up at

me and spoke.

"Jareth, My beloved one, what has taken thee so long? I had to

start the festivities without you."

"Festivities?" I grinned cynically. "And what festivities

shall we be having in this solitude under the ground and just above Hell?"

Though I had been taught in the Celtic ways I had studied the Christian

beliefs just in case anyone were to have asked me about my religious up

bringing. I would not have to make up a lie but rather tell simply what I

knew of Christianity though I did not really believe it. And though I did

not really believe that there was a Hell for the idea of absolute evil scared

me I did like the metaphor. I had reasoned that nothing in nature is

absolute. Nothing is totally devoid of it's opposite. And if nothing is

absolute then why should evil, such as the notion of The Devil and Hell

exist?

Sarah stood up and walked over to my awaiting arms. Quickly she

kissed me. "I have been waiting here nearly for eternity."

"Eternity… ah… It is only forever, my love. It is not long at

all." I had teased her.

"How did you manage to escape from your father on this day? Did not

he plan for you a celebration or something of the like in solemn recognition

of your mother's death and of your birth?"

"Ah, what does it matter? I have you and I am here with you, that is

all that matters to me now. Come," I gestured towards the flames burning in

the center of the cave "let us sit and warm ourselves for a bit. I am

chilled. The air is cool and crisp and I have brought with me no ale."

I sat down and held my beloved close to me as I watched the flames

lick and lap at the roof of the cave.

Sarah noticed soon enough that I had smeared dirt on my shirt from

the climb and offered then to clean it for me before my father could see and

guess what I had been doing. A man through and through yet still I was under

the control of my father, I disliked that immensely.

I must have seemed distracted. I cannot remember what I was thinking

just then but it was enough to cloud my thoughts of romance. As Sarah untied

the top of my shirt I yielded as if I were but a corpse. I decide to play

the indifferent part. I said not a word as Sarah pulled my shirt over my

head and I sat with only his pants on.

"Something troubles you, my love."

"Hmm…Oh. What?" her voice alone brought me back around to

reality. I acted now as if I had just awoken from a dream state. "No.

Nothing troubles me, my beautiful Sarah."

"You lie. Now, do tell me. What does bother you so much?"

I sighed. "Oh, well, sometimes I feel very alone. I feel so

lost and lonely among the rest of these people when you are not with me. I

feel lost and lonely sometimes. I feel as if I was not meant for this world.

It is like I am watching it all from a distance, detached and indifferent.

I feel as if I am awaiting something that has yet to happen. I feel

different. I do not feel as if I belong. I want to leave here. I want to

go away and never return until I have found what I am looking for…I just do

not know what it is that I want, not really anyway. …But I do have you and

you do mean more to me then anything."

To: .

Subject: [labyfic] Beginnings Part 2 of 10

From:

Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 19:36:16 EST

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"No one can blame you for just walking away, my love." Sarah sighed.

"What? You mean run away. I cannot. I love you and will not

leave you. I want to stay here because you are here." I said simply.

"We can leave together is what I meant."

"I do not want to make you leave behind all that you love, Sarah.

You have friends, you have family and…and… "

"And you do not?" She mocked me.

"Sometimes I feel detached from them." I made a gesture towards

the village. "I do not love them as I love you. I only love you. That

is why I cannot take you away from all that you love. I cannot do that to

you, my beloved Sarah."

"All I love is you. I want to leave here with you. I want to

help you to find what you are looking for so that we both might be contented

in love, whatever it might be. I cannot be happy without you."

"Oh, Sarah." I sighed. I could not resist but to kiss her then.

I held her too me and breathed her in deeply. I remember that to me she

smelt like fresh peaches, roses and jasmine, honeysuckle, and lilac blooms.

She smelt of everything good and sweet that I had ever known.

Suddenly as I had Sarah in a passionate embrace the fire's flame

turned to a blue colour as if the flames were burning something made up

entirely out of fat and oil.

Sarah could not restrain a gasp as the flames rose and licked at

the ceiling of the cave. I held close to Sarah and watched as out of the

flames emerged a creature.

It was large and it was hairy. It was brown and black in colour. It

had great claws like blades. It had horns like a demon and a tail like a

wolf. It had yellow fangs dripping saliva that hung out of it's mouth. It

had eyes like fire.

It was hideous. It smelled of all the worst stuffs on the planet.

It had a horrid reek to it.

"What is it?" Sarah asked out loud. She could not hold back a

shriek as she buried her face in to my chest and though I was horror struck

by this creature's presence her pressing in to me like that did not feel at

all uncomfortable.

"I…I don't know." I stuttered as I held her shuttering form close to me.

The creature hissed. It then spoke in a very gruff and inhuman voice

that sounded as if the rocks were speaking and not the creature. "I should

choose a form more becoming of this dimension."

Then the monster began to change shape. The fangs retracted in to

a rather small mouth and the creature began to shrink very slowly where now

it stood at eye level with me. It's fur began to dissolve and fade as if it

all had been a trick of the light. It's claws fell from its fingers and

landed in to the fire that burned away to nothing behind it.

Now it stared at me in a way that made my stomach turn with

uneasiness. As it did it's eyes became more and more human in their shade

and appearance. And one eye was a deep, dark blue and the other was an icy,

Arctic Ocean blue just like mine only my right eye was the light blue and my

left was the dark, more dilated one. This thing had the same eyes in

reverse. The thing's left eye was the light blue and the right was a darker,

deeper colour.

Now it looked like an ordinary, well-dressed man. It wore exactly

the same clothing as I. And it looked just like me, I would think only this

man had brown hair.

"Mother of all… What are you?" I asked out loud suddenly as I saw now

that it in deed looked just like my father but younger somehow.

"You look like… like my father." I said, as I was astonished at

the similarities.

"That is because I AM your father!" it said.

"What?" I would not believe it. I could not believe it. This

thing could not be my father! I simply would not accept it. My father was

up in the village, sipping ale and wondering where his son was, wasn't he?

"I am not the man whom you know to be your father but I am your

father. Allow me to explain."

Suddenly in his hand the creature held a perfectly round, perfectly

translucent crystal ball. The crystal was just big enough to fit in the palm

of my hand as he tossed it now at me.

It froze in mid-air right in front of me and it hovered there. In

the crystal suddenly appeared the image of my father and mother. They were

young in the image and were laughing at something very interesting.

I became totally enthralled, fascinated by the magick image of

seeing my mother whom had been dead for quite sometime, having died during

the birthing process.

The creature, which looked human now, spoke again.

"Twenty one years ago I came to your world in this form in search

of a mate to carry my immortal son. Coincidentally there was a man already

here with a face exactly matching my own when I would take human form but the

eyes were different. Your father had pure, icy blue eyes and my one eye as

you see is a darker blue and the pupil is forever dilated. He was handsome

and young and in love. He and a woman named Deirdre were in love. I took

this opportunity and I came to the woman one night. She thought that I was

her beloved, unable to see the slight difference in our eyes in the darkness

and I slept with her.

I caused her to carry a child… My child. Naturally her true

love being an alcoholic remembered nothing of that night and assumed that in

deed he was the one who had gotten her pregnant and he married her as he had

already promised to do so only a month prier. The baby was you, Jareth and

you are my son." (He deliberately neglected to inform me of my younger

sister's existence.)

Suddenly my face appeared in the crystal orb.

"No." I shook my head in disbelief. "This cannot be true."

"Oh, but it is. I have waited until you were old enough, man

enough to claim your birth right as the prince of all the goblins."

"Prince of all the… goblins?' Before I could ask what all this

meant the creature had another crystal orb in his hands. This one was pink

and it burst suddenly to reveal another which was half that size. This one

the creature threw at Sarah.

Sarah gasped but before I could stop it or bother to try and push

her out of the way of it, it had shattered against her chest.

Sarah fell to the floor of the cave. She was not dead but merely

asleep but still this great magick caused me to fear for her life.

"Sarah!" I wanted to rush to her aid but it was too late.

Another transparent crystal orb appeared in the hands of the stranger

and I was instinctively growing frightened. The orb grew in size as it flew

at me, too fast for em to try and get away or some how repel the thing. The

orb swelled and then suddenly it splattered against my chest. It broke in to

several thousands of pieces and one of the pieces pierced my chest and

reached my heart. I felt it stab into me but then it felt like a shard of

ice, somehow melting from within me as a water spread within my chest.

The ground vanished. The world seemed to be falling down around

me. Sarah was gone. The stranger was gone. I was lost in blackness. Then

suddenly the sky grew lighter and I could feel the ground under me feet once

more.

I was dressed in splendid new garb. I wore tight black leggings and a

long black cape. My shirt was a white thing made of silk and on my belt was

a small dagger. I had never worn such fine clothes in all of my life among

my mother's simple Celtic people.

The sun in this dimension was just rising. The sky was orange and

the ground smelt sweet with the scent of the morning's dew and budding roses.

I was confused.

A great clay brick wall stood in front of me. So I turned around

to face the stranger who still looked quite human and again was wearing the

exact same thing that I was dressed in.

"I am your father, Jareth. There is no denying it. This is our

world."

"What sort of world is this?" I asked. "Where are we?"

"This is my world. I inherited it from my father who from his

father and so on and so on and so on since the dawn of infinity."

"How can this be?" I was most definitely baffled by all of this.

"Simple." The stranger said. "You need not worry about that girl,

Sarah. I left her where she was in that underground cave of yours. This

world is like all worlds. It is the third planet or spinning orb of life

from it's sun or center star and it bears life so there by it is your Earth.

It is only another dimension of Earth.

"It has seven continents or masses of land of which I am the

dictator of one. The seventh and largest of the continents is my realm of

rule, my private playground where I keep my castle in the center of it, my

fantasyland, my kingdom. There is a great maze surrounding my castle. It is

my labyrinth. It protects against intruders. No one has ever been able to

get through The Labyrinth yet it is such a great maze that my subjects all

live in it or on the outskirts of it.

"There is a secret to my Labyrinth, if one turns right upon entering

it's gate you can find your way easily to my castle but I only tell you this

because you are my son. No one else knows this secret. Though The Labyrinth

is always changing there are some things such as this that are ever constant.

"Beyond The Labyrinth and just before the castle there is a

surrounding city called quite simply The Goblin City, it is the capital of my

country I call The Underground.

"There are all kinds of splendid and fascinating creatures here of

the likes of which are not even imagined by the people of your world.

"I am immortal. The only thing that can kill me is a weapon that has been

stained in the blood of the hyne and only if that weapon hits me as an

ordinary weapon would kill a mortal." (Hyne: A half woman, half dear. It as

beautiful maiden with golden flesh. From the torso down is the base of where

a doe's base and neck would start, and there is the belly and four hooves of

a dear with the tail.) "It makes us as vulnerable as humans, which we are

not. Though we have a mind and emotions exactly like humans we are not

humans physically, not really anyway."

"Does this mean that you killed your father, my grandfather?" I asked.

"No. My father died by his own hand. He stabbed himself with a

dagger's blade stained in hyne's blood straight through the heart. He had

believed that he had lived for too long ."

The idea that I was NOT a human made me apprehensive. What was I?

Was I some sort of horrid demon?

"And you really are my father?"

"Yes, Jareth and you also have my power. Don't you feel that energy

rushing through you now? When I shattered that orb against your chest it

released all of your hidden potential."

I was amazed.

The stranger placed his hand on to my back. I had to fight to

keep from cringing from his touch. "Come. I shall take you to our castle."

To: .

Subject: [labyfic] Beginnings Part 3 of 10

From:

Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 19:36:53 EST

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Almost blind with excitement, I followed my new found father to the

castle at the center of the great maze that ran above and under the ground

with many twists and turns and tunnels going this way and that and dungeon

like pits that were simply known as oubliettes.

There are worlds within worlds. And this world existed within

this universe in the realm of one human's subconscious. Then it is shared by

countless millions of others making it as real and as potent as any reality

simply because it was dreamed of and believed in for is not the realm of

dreams a reality of it's own?

It was difficult for me to call this stranger Father but I would

surely soon grow used to it no matter how awkward it seemed at first for me.

The maze was big and it had many twists and turns but somehow I as

well as my father could easily find our way through.

It was miles till we could even see the castle at a distance up a

hill.

"You are my father?" I asked again. "And all this is your world?"

"Yes, and I want to share it all with you. For you are the prince and

heir to my throne if I choose to die."

"What is your name? Where did we come from? What are we? I know

now that I am not mortal. Will I age? How come I have seen no people thus

far?" I had so many questions. My mind was racing with new wonders,

questions and ideas.

"Calm down, my son. I shall explain it all to you. My name is

Grall. I do not know where we come from but all I know is this. We are

immortal shape shifters and are not actually goblins and we possess great

magical powers and skills of seduction and enthrallment rather like the

common fey, yours is held in your physical beauty and in your voice, your

true magick and in the crystals.

"Though we reproduce by mating with humans our blood is always potent,

and the magick held within the child never thins.

"We are the rulers of the goblins. We look mortal by choice. We can

change our shape though no creature is quite as fun as humans are. There are

no human females in The Labyrinth there for when you may decide to mate it

will have to be with one from another dimension but do not worry about your

off spring. If you choose to have any for the child will have all your

powers and perhaps even more then you. You will not age from this moment on

unless magick is somehow misused.

"You always choose if you want a female lover to be pregnant or not.

Unlike mortal men we can focus to create life in the woman where it is always

a challenge to mortal men but I warn you that if a woman carries your child

then she shall die upon giving birth. I knew this when I impregnated your

mother. But do not be cross with me for sentencing your mother to die. I

had to do it to create you but it was also her choice.

"When she was giving birth I came to her in a form that only she

could see and I told her the truth. I offered her the choice to kill you

inside of her and live with me forever. We do have the power to make mortals

immortal as we are by throwing a crystal of your energy at the heart of that

mortal. I had done that with you, as it had to be done to make you see your

birth right that might have remained for an unknown time repressed in side of

you." (Again he simply did not mention my sister whom I would learn of

later.)

My father, Grall seemed almost sad for a moment. "She said no.

She would rather die then let her own child die in her place. She said that

it was the way of the great mother to sacrifice for her child and so it was

that she made the ultimate sacrifice for you.

"I did love her and it broke my heart when she died. I had almost

expected her to accept my offer and be my queen, to rule by my side forever

but she was too innocent and good to do that. I was still happy though for I

did have a son in the horrible price of your sweet mother's life."

I paused in my walking and stared at my father. "Amazing."

"Yes, rather."

"But why have I seen no goblins yet?"

"They are scattered about. Look. Here comes one now."

As if on a signal that now was the precisely right moment,

staggering around a corner came a small troll like creature with bug eyes.

It had pink hair at the top of its head. It had two weasel tails behind it.

It had the hind legs of a rabbit. It had the black wings of a bat and it had

the head of a fox. It's eyes were large, round and red. It was coated in

brown and red fur. It was male, obviously. It's toes were webbed and it had

a beak rather then a mouth.

The moment it saw my father and I it bowed and said "Your majesties."

Then it wobbled off at a fast pace. It seemed to have already known as

recognized me to be it's king's son.

Stunned, I turned towards my father. "Do all goblins look like

THAT?"

"No." My father said. "They all come in many shapes and sizes as

well as colours and ages. They age and die, as we do not. They think that

we are Gods because we have so much power within our control."

"And are we Gods then?" I asked.

"No. Perhaps only God of the goblins but in the mortal world we

are merely wizards who simply can not be killed and can change our form."

"And how do I use my powers?"

"Think of something that you want. Anything at all can be chosen."

I shut my eyes and then opened them.

"Now, hold out your hand and your energy shall do the rest."

Suddenly a swirling wind like a mighty tornado appeared on my

hand. A liquid gewed in my fingers in to a soft yet icy gel. It was icy and

cold but then it was comfortably warm. It suddenly became hard. And then in

my hands was a clear-cut crystal ball. It was small and it fit perfectly in

my hand. It caused my whole arm to tingle at holding it.

This was all like some strange dream to me.

"What… what is it?" I asked.

"It is a crystal, nothing more but it can make your dreams come

true. Now if a mortal held it the mortal would merely see his or her dreams

reflected in it. But for us it can bring them to life."

"I want my horse. My feet are growing tired of walking. I want my

horse, Hoggle."

"Heggle?"

"No, Hoggle."

"All right. Now throw the crystal once you know what you want and

wherever you throw it the image shall appear.

I threw the ball and right in front of me. The ball transformed in

to my horse, Hoggle. The crystal had transported my horse to this strange

other universe.

My father was delighted. He laughed. "Very good, son. Very, very

good, son." He laughed.

I could see that my newfound father was pleased.

My Father, Grall spoke up suddenly. "But you do not need a horse

here, son. I can transport us the rest of the way but I merely wanted for

you to see The Labyrinth. You won't have any need of him here, boy. I

suggest you make something useful out of him. How about making him a dwarf

to assist you when you need it. You had better make him ugly so that lust

does not interfere with his work and you had better make him stupid and

cowardly."

Though I disliked to be called "boy" when in fact I was a man I

thought on this and once I had the image in my head I held out my hand.

Another crystal suddenly appeared. I threw this one at my horse that panted

and whinnied from where it stood.

The crystal shattered and the horse changed shape. Soon a short,

little man stood where the horse had been. It was a dwarf. It had an aged

face that was large and wrinkled, like a crumpled brown paper bag. It had a

large moth and a swollen nose. It had white hair that one could see from

under a red cap. It wore a dingy white shirt and brown pants. On his belt

hung his masculine pride, his literal jewels. I wanted to laugh at that

little joke.

He stood up and stared dumbfounded at I, his master.

"Hoggle?" I asked in surprise.

"Ma.. M… Ma… Ma-s-ter… Master. Master, master." It seemed

to chant at an endless pace.

"It can talk." My father said. "Very good, son. You learn fast."

I was surprised and horrified by what I had done to my own horse.

My father could see this. "Higgle," he said in a very stern voice

"Go and live outside the gates of The Labyrinth and learn to take care of the

flowers that grow on the outer wall. And handle for us the pest problem of

the tiny fairies that bite like misquotes in the summer and early autumn."

(I did not know it yet but many years before The Underground had been the

realm of those now bothersome fairies before the goblins had conquered them

and had taken their city and castle. Now they were very vindictive little

buggers.) "That is your duty and you need not come in to The Labyrinth ever

again except to do my or my son's will. Do you understand me?"

Hoggle nodded and scurried away with a wobbling step, as he

could not comprehend how to walk on only two legs just yet.

"Come, Jareth. I shall teach you and take you to our castle."

He placed his arm reassuringly over my shoulder and guided me away from the

spot where my feet had felt as if they had grown roots.

I had an aching feeling inside of me that somehow this was

wrong. It seemed monstrous and I no longer really wanted my birth right.

We walked on only a few more feet before we came across a

large, oafish beast that when growled could conjure rocks.

The creature was a large and hairy yeti like being with horns

and a hunched back. It's ears flopped on the sides of his head. He simply

stood howling and the rocks came rolling by as answer to his loud call.

"I should have to call some goblins to deal that beast." Said

my father, Grall.

I turned with mild interest in this as we walked on past this

strange sight. "Why?"

"No one should hold authority in this place other then myself

even if it is only over the rocks. If one being, even a mindless one can

pose a challenge to my power then he must be dealt with. That beast will

submit to my will eventually."

"Oh." At the time I thought that my father was over reacting a

bit though later I might say that I would agree to such notions.

To: .

Subject: [labyfic] Beginnings Part 4 of 10

From:

Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 19:37:30 EST

--------

As we walked I noticed tiny little elfish brownies were scurrying

about in and out of The Labyrinth walls and floor tiles. There was also a

family of tiny blue, slug like worms drinking tear from tiny cups on the

corner of one wall.

A group of fiery red things were dancing around a campfire in the

woods. They were singing as they tore their own limbs off and removed their

own eyes. They seemed to enjoy this.

A lichen patch made entirely out of eyes on yellowish tendrils

shuttered in the wind as if trembling in fear at their sight as Jareth and

Grall passed by it.

This was the most extraordinary thing.

Gradually I began to realize that things are not always what they

seem to be in that place and that this was where everything seems possible

and nothing is what it seems.

Bored with walking my father formed a crystal in his hand. I

stopped in my weary tracks in wonder at what my newfound father proposed to

do.

In moments we arrived having flown on the inside of a great

crystal bubble that my father had made using his powers. It was truly an

amazing journey.

When I saw my father's castle I gasped out in amazement.

It was an immense structure beyond a small city hidden behind

the walls of The Labyrinth. The maze seemed to go on for infinity

surrounding the castle from all sides but that most repulsive sight met my

gaze just outside the city and still within the forest section of The

Labyrinth.

It was a gurgling bog of filth next to a repulsive yard of

garbage. This horrid eye sore reeked of feces but beyond this horror (The

Bog of Eternal Stench) and beyond the goblin city there was the great Goblin

Castle.

It was a wondrous building that they now stood before outside of

that great bubble that had dissolved into the Earth on impact like a great

cloud of smoke and water.

The ground was tiled with bricks and cobble stones. The walls

were of sculpted white marble, the castle had been crafted, made to last for

an eternity.

The great doubled doors to the palace were of solid steal and the

bars on the first floor windows were of iron. The castle had eight towers,

one for each direction and one for the border between two. There was a great

tower rising from the eighth floor of the entrance fortress that surrounded

the main building of the castle that sat in a great courtyard on this gnarled

hill that for some reason was made out of earth as white as snow or moonbeams.

The castle was great and a wondrous thing.

My father stepped forward and lightly touched me as I stared

forward with my mouth gaping open at the sight of this terrific castle.

"Now really, Jareth don't look such a way. I told you that it

was your castle as well as mine. Now come along, the goblin court is

awaiting us. They are all idiots but harmless idiots and their attention

spans are very short. Some are so stupid that they'll assume you've been

here forever just as they think that I've been here forever. They cannot

remember the former king and I believe it is better that way. To them you

are a God who shall live forever as the moon lives forever. Most of them

cannot remember beyond a few days or weeks while others cannot remember what

they did five minutes before I speak to them. They will never rebel for all

their idiocy and I find that fine though a trifle bit annoying. Remember

what I have told you and be prepared for anything. In this, my world nothing

is impossible. This is where everything seems possible and nothing is what

it seems."

I nodded in understanding. I think that was just about all that

I could do just then.

I was still was getting over the sudden shock of it all.

"Now pay attention, The Labyrinth is always changing to suit the

mind of the person who enters so that for each individual it is a personal

journey that is always changing, rather like the human mind itself, ever

changing yet ever constant. The universe is like that, ever changing yet ever

constant. And so as immortals that's how we should be, how you should always

remain, my son. Now five things are always present in the Labyrinth. Always

no matter who is walking through it, the oubliettes hidden through out the

maze, The Bog of Eternal stench, The Castle, The Goblin City and you and your

power. And the secret key to The Labyrinth is that right is always the right

way to go and for all whom enter it is always a complex and personal journey.

It would be like wandering through one's own mind. You'd be easily lost.

No one can find their way through this enchanted maze, no one. Things will

only change if you will it to change or you are defeated by a mortal but that

has never happened before."

"What will happen if I am defeated by a mortal?"

"I am not sure to tell you the truth I am pretty sure that all

that will happen is that you would be weakened and may lose a bit of your

power."

"Oh."

"Also if a mortal does not believe in you or renounces the power

you possess over them that would make it where your magick would hold

absolutely no effect on that person. And that person can steal some of your

own power in turn, such as the power to conjure beings of their personalized

Labyrinth journeys in to reality."

"Strange…"

"Yes… Very. Goblin feet are very sensitive though their heads

are as hard as rocks. And they are fond of darkness and are usually repulsed

by light.

"Also note that all goblins are repulsed by singing, it is

instinctual yet they would always love to hear their king sing. Your voice

alone can keep them at bay."

I nodded again. I was speechless.

Grall, my father stepped forward and yelled up as if at the doors

them selves. "Open the gates, it is I, your master returned."

A chorus of cackling voices were screaming and laughing madly from

behind the castle walls. "Open the gates, it is our master come home."

"Quickly now, open them."

In a few moments the doors gave way and about a hundred, short

waist high goblins stood and bowed along a red carpet leading down a corridor.

I stared at all the strange creatures that surrounded me.

Some had floppy, puppy dog-ears and raven beaks. Others had

feathers and dog snouts. Some wore ragged bits of shredded clothes while

others wore the helmets of warriors of the past. And some that were

seemingly gender-less beings ran around naked chasing farm animals.

My father spoke up suddenly as if reading in to my mind. Perhaps he

was.

"Yes, sometimes I do turn my enemies in to goblins though it takes

great skill and I do hate having to do it but as for feeling guilty and all

that rot, I have no qualms about doing it. It's just such dreadful and dirty

business, rather. They are still emotionally and mentally just as they were

if they are the ones forcefully changed but the others were born and bred

true goblins, these ones are the idiots."

Some had goat's heads while others had faces of kittens. Some

had more then one head while others had four arms and three legs.

One had the body of a goat and the head of a man. Another had a

goat's head and a man's body. Some were extremely thin and others extremely

fat. They came in all shapes and colours and at the sight of them Jareth was

suddenly repulsed but it was only momentary.

"The master has returned." Cried one that seemed so much like an

animal that Jareth was surprised that he could even speak.

"But who has he brought with him?" Cackled a very feminine one

with dove wings on it's back.

My father did not reply this with an answer. He simply kept

walking until he came to his throne room. I followed at a few paces distance.

The throne room was a rather drab room in the center of the castle.

There was a large throne against the far wall and hanging above it,

mounted on the wall was a giant crown decorated with horns of equal six that

now was the nest of a pet black bird. This crown was far too big to fit the

head of a mortal man. A great beast or perhaps my father in another form had

obviously once worn it. Had one of my ancestors killed a beastly king goblin

and forcefully had taken the throne with his magick? I doubt that I would

ever know the truth of that.

Perhaps truthfully the idiot goblins had made the crown for my

father but had made it far too big so he had it put up high to show that it

was his seat, not to be soiled or disgraced by a rouge goblin with a very,

very short attention span.

My father walked over to the throne. In the center of the room

was a cushioned pit that went down only about three or four feet. It looked

like an in-turned bed or a strange playpen for a child. About twelve goblins

sat scattered in this room. And for some reason a chicken stood cackling

next to the throne.

My father walked over to the throne that was shaped like a half moon

cushioned on it's back and base with arms made of bamboo and he sat down in

it.

My nodded at me, which seemed to mean that I had permission to use

my newfound magick.

I lifted a hand up and thought of what I wanted, and again a

tingling sensation ran through my body and then my arm and hand. A crystal

appeared.

I threw the crystal sphere at the wall next to my father's throne

and instantly appeared there another throne.

The goblins all shut up from their mindless chatter and stared at

I, this new one who held the king's magick.

I saw my father smile and proudly I stepped forward to my seat and

sat next to my father to his left.

"Very good, son. You are learning fast. Never wait for an offer.

Always take what you want. That is what I do and as king that is what you

should also do."

My father stood up suddenly. "Friends, goblin folk. I would like to

introduce you to my son, Jareth, the goblin prince… prince of all the

goblins."

At first all the goblins stared blankly at my father and I but

then they all began to clap and cheer and whistle and laugh all at once

I stood up and gave a small bow. I felt honoured and proud. It

was as if the Earth I had come from was all but a strange dream from my past

and could easily be forgotten… But what of Sarah?

Again my father read in to my thoughts. "You can see anything at

all that you wish to within our realm with a crystal. You know what to do.

Think of a place and make the crystal appear. You can also travel to the

mortal realm whenever you choose. Just think of it and wave your hand and

you shall be there. You return the same way. You can change shape as well.

Just think of an animal or person you would like to be and focus that energy.

Try it now if you like."

I did. I thought of a owl, a majestic creature with extreme

beauty.

Then a great sensation took me over. I was shrinking. I felt

the pulling of my skin and the soft tickle of the fathers. My eyes saw in a

new way. I was small as I stared up at my father. I was no longer capable

of speech in this form but I could will, force out my thoughts telepathically

and found that if I tried then I could hear other thoughts, there were only a

few in this place. Most were coming from my father of how proud he was and

how grand this would be now with his son at his side. And I was happy. For

the first time in a long while I was truly happy.

This was new. The power to read thoughts had only been awoken within

me with the power to change my form.

I flapped my white wings almost instinctively and I flew towards the

window. Oh, the freedom of flight, it was fantastic. I loved it. I could

swoop and spiral and turn on the wind like a piece of paper fluttering in the

autumn air. The cool air scraped gently at my belly as if it were welcoming

me home

With this power also it awoke in me the realization that I could

move faster then human eyes could see if I chose to do so. And time was

something that was also under his control if he chose but this would only be

so within my realm, The Underground.

Out I flew over The Labyrinth in a great rush of excitement.

I loved this power to fly in the shape of a bird. It was

absolutely fantastic. I could see all of The Labyrinth and my eyes as the

owl eyes could see, as I never had seen before. I saw depth in darkness and

within crevices. I could hear the heartbeat of a mouse. I could see tiny

figures trying to hide from my perfect eyes in the blackness of shadow. My

eyes were no longer human eyes and I was totally free and happy.

I noticed that the sun was setting over The Castle and that a moon

rose in to the sky. But this was no normal moon. It was made from a pure

blue crystal. It was a giant gemstone in the sky. I could see the facets of

it's deep blue surface that were glowing mysteriously. It was so very

beautiful.

I flew back to the throne room where my father had been waiting for

me. He had several oil lamps burning around the room and candles were being

lit for the night all across The labyrinth. (Should goblins be trusted with

fire? …No, I really don't think so.) They were like stars on the floor of

night, I had seen nothing like it in this timeless and eternal place.

And I realized that all the pain of my past was gone. And I thought

that nothing would ever hurt again here. My father had taken me here. I was

in The Underground.

To: .

Subject: [labyfic] Beginnings 5 of 10

From:

Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 19:38:26 EST

--------

I turned back in to a human again and stepped up to my father who

smiled at me.

"Oh, father, that was fantastic. That was absolutely amazing,

stunning, simply glorious."

"Good, you can do that when ever you like. Now I would like to

bestow upon you the greatest gift that I can give to you."

One goblin gasped and whispered to another. "He's going to give him

the cicle."

"Huh? Not the cicle!?!" Was the replied response.

"Bring me the cicle." Grall, my father cried.

Two stumbling goblins came rushing in with a box in their arms.

They placed the box on the floor before me. I looked at it for a moment in

puzzlement. "What is this?"

"Why don't you open it and find out for yourself?" Said my

father.

I kneeled down and lifted the lid. In the box was a great

trinket. It was a pendent. It was shaped like a triangle that had it's

sides caved in. In the center of it was a silver coin as it was gold and it

hung on a golden chain as well.

What I did not know yet and neither did my father was that within

the coin was a tiny shard from a dark crystal, the center of another reality,

an ancient place and great magick existed within the shard. Though the shard

was tiny it was a part of the heart of the center of anther reality ruled by

creatures known as Mystics. There are worlds within worlds within worlds.

And though the beings of that reality would be nearly microscopic to myself,

they held great importance in another realm in the great cosmic all.

I looked at my father who again merely nodded.

I placed the pendent around my neck.

My father spoke up. "It is called the cicle. It is made from

mettles from your former Earth and elements from the moon of our world, our

third moon that only rises once every century. Usually we have the blue

moon. The cicle can make all your dreams come true. When ever you wish

something that is within the realms of it's power it shall change. The chain

would turn to a leather cord and then to a silver chain almost suddenly. The

silver coin would turn to gold and the gold cicle would turn to silver. It

would switch, changing so that your wish might be granted. I always called

it the dream-cicle."

"Amazing." I said as I stared down at it as it dangled from around

my neck. Then I realized that must have been growing late in the evening

though I was not tired. "What time is it, father?"

"Time has no bearing on us though like mortals we eat and expel when

we are hungry and full, and we do sleep. The days here however are divided

into twenty-six hours. It is thirteen o'clock here, for us that is midnight."

I was again only slightly surprised. "I would like to see my bed

changer now, father as I am to live here now."

"Of course, come let me show it to you now."

My bedchamber was a great big room. It had a large window with a

canopied bed.

I looked out of the window to The great Labyrinth spreading out below

me and for some reason though I was somewhat contented I felt very, very

lonely. I thought of Sarah for a moment and of how much I missed her and

wished that she were there to share this incredible thing with me. I wanted

to show her my world. I looked again at the crystal blue moon as it shown

down on me. The Labyrinth seemed to shimmer with it's own light. It was

truly splendid. I wanted to make Sarah my princess. I wanted to let only my

heart make the choice. I wanted for her to see my magical new world. I was

looking at it all as I had as the owl. For me it was a new, fantastic thing.

I wanted her to see it as I saw it.

I Finally I decided that I would go to sleep and in the morrow I

would go to the mortal world and explain everything to Sarah and give her

immortality as it was within my power to do so. We would, I fancied live

together forever… ...Happily ever after.

I fell asleep on that feathery bed in the clothing that I had been

wearing. I dreamt of Sarah. I dreamt that we were in a magical dance hall

dancing to a magick dance.

We were in a masquerade ball and I was in a mask. I was wearing

the mask of a demon and there were others around and there was Sarah in a

long flowing gown and yet she was not in a mask. She was the only one in

fact, who was not wearing a mask.

I was singing. This song was The dark Masquerade.

"Behind my mask of secrets and lies,

Behind my costume and painted eyes

I see a world of smiling faces, they are not real,

And they are not wise

And then through the darkness,

Behind your mask I see your crystal eyes,

Start the masquerade without me,

Take illusions and wear a disguise,

When your only love is a stranger

You scorn the truth and you need the lies,

And in the night I see one white rose,

In the dark only one bloom survives,

And in the night it alone thrives,

As I kiss your tender lips,

With my arms around you I see you smile and it is true,

I shall always love you,

We take off our masks and you see me,

And I understand you and how it was meant to be,

And beyond the others in the masquerade,

We see, we know, we love each other

Beyond the lies, we see each other's longing in our eyes,

And we are no longer alone in the dark masquerade,"

I dreamt that I stepped up to her and that I slowly removed my

mask so that I could see her better. (My demon mask face was obstructing my

vision.) And I also did this so that Sarah could see me as I wanted to be

seen for who and what I truly was and be loved simply for that. But when she

saw my real face in this dream she was horror struck.

She gasped and she screamed "Demon, prince of the goblins! Horrible

beast, get thee away from me!"

My heart was broken. I felt as if it had been ripped right out of

my chest, still beating.

She ran from me. She was afraid of me. And then the ball room

dancers began to laugh at me. Maniacally they gathered around me. They were

pointing their bony fingers and laughing at my humiliation, mocking me

cruelly.

Sarah grabbed up a stool and threw it at the translucent wall of

the room as this all was within one create, magical crystal orb and it

shattered like one of the crystal balls that I had been using for my magick

all day.

And it was then that I woke up in bed. It was still night in The

Underground. That is to say that the sun had not yet risen. I stood up,

gasping for breath.

"I wish that I could see Sarah one time without her seeing me." I

sighed.

Then quite suddenly my necklace began to glow and pulsate with an

incredible light.

I stared down at it in amazement, unsure of what was happening yet

not afraid but merely fascinated.

In an instant I was back in the Earthly realm only in a way I was not.

I knew that I was not really there. I saw that I was standing in the cave

where Sarah and I had been earlier that day.

She was still there, alone and crying. She could not see me. I

realized in a moment that I was invisible to her human eyes.

I knelt down beside her and watched as she cried. She had been

crying for sometime. Her eyes were red from weeping so much. She was nearly

mad.

"A demon has taken my beloved! Demons have taken my Jareth!

No! Surely his father will blame me. I shall surely be punished. They

would all think me a murder. Jareth, my Jareth… It does not matter. This is

not fair! What am I supposed to do? It's not fair. May he be alive that I

might tell him that I love him still. It's not fair. I need him. It's not

fair. It's not fair. It's not fair! It matters not what befalls me now so

long as my beloved is safe. Oh, mother goddess of the moon please send me a

sign, let me know if he is all but fine."

With great concentration I said the words to myself or rather to my new

powers and abilities, "Let her see me now. Let her see me."

And with that a great light burst from the darkness and the fire that had

long ago burnt itself out in the cave was rekindled. And out of a blue

blast, like the flames themselves I seemed to emerge from a great porthole in

to oblivion. A bursting of glittering dust of sparkles and sparklets settled

around me.

Sarah stood up and looked at me. I was greatly changed. I was

dressed in tight black pants, a black cloak and a white shirt, very similar

to the one that I had been wearing earlier and the silver cicle sat against

my chest.

"Jareth!" She gasped. "You are…you are alive?" She rushed to my

awaiting arms. "But what has happened to you?"

I gently told her to sit down.

I sat next to her upon the dirt floor. "I am a God now, Sarah only no

one is to know. I am an heir to the great mother moon's power. I am an

immortal God. I have received my birth right, I am a God!"

"But how… The demon… was that- " She gasped "-your father?"

I held her shaking hands gently. "Let me explain, please."

I concentrated and made a crystal appear in my hands. "Here, take it.

It is a gift. I have brought you a gift." I handed it over to Sarah who

reluctantly took it from my hand.

"It is beautiful but what is it?"

"It is a crystal- nothing more but if you turn it and look in to it, it'll

show you your dreams. But this is not a gift for an ordinary girl. Do you

want it?"

She stared at it for a moment and she said, "Yes."

"Then it is yours."

Sarah turned the crystal ball in her hands very gently and in the crystal

appeared the image of Her and myself, wed as man and wife.

"Can you make these images come to pass?" She asked looking up at me. I

clearly saw my in the crystal.

"Oh, yes, my darling. Let us leave here together." I smiled. "I would

gladly make the image a reality for you."

I took her hand and the crystal dissolved as I sang The longing.

"Close your eyes

And walk with me down the endless paths as you drift off to sleep,

There are no more good byes

And there is no more promises left for you to keep,

Light the lamp

And follow close to me,

It shall end this night,

You have filled the emptiness in me,

You must give in, you must give in,

It is a game that you can not win,

It is the longing,

The darkness aches and tares away at the strongest of souls,

The music does play

And the fire burns your heart apart for that is all it knows,

The fever breaks,

Stay by me and rest your pretty little head,

The time has now come for the Longing is a hunger that needs to be fed,

You cannot turn back,

You simply cannot turn back,

The night waits in black,

It is the longing,

You must give in,

You must give in,

It is a game that you can not win,

It is the longing,

The longing,"

I focussed my concentration and I held Sarah tight. In moments we were

in my bedchamber in the castle at the center of The Labyrinth.

"Where are we?" Sarah had asked in shock and wonder.

"We are in the castle, my a castle and my father's at the center

of The great Labyrinth."

To: .

Subject: [labyfic] Beginnings Part 6 of 10

From:

Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 19:39:18 EST

--------

"Come. I have many things to show you" I said. "But first…"

I raised my hand and concentrated. A cold gel formed in my hands that

slowly transformed in to a crystal ball. I felt a little woozy as I

concentrated on what I proposed to do. I had put a little too much of my own

life's energy in to that crystal. I was too inexperienced to make her an

immortal properly just yet. I had been too unprepared and inexperienced with

my new abilities. I put far too much of my own life energy in to that

crystal and for that I would pay a price.

With a great burst of energy the crystal hit Sarah full force.

She gasped as a shard penetrated her chest and pierced in to her heart making

her an immortal.

I cried out in pain. Almost instantly I knew that I had done it wrong. I

groaned in agony as I fell to my knees. I felt as if someone were trying to

tear me in to two pieces as if my soul were being pulled right out of my

body. I felt weak, drained. In moments it had passed as quickly as it had

begun and I physically was no longer a seeming boy. I had aged eighteen

years.

Eighteen years in an instant, that is what I lost. I gave immortality

and earned an instant of eighteen years of mortality. Now with the face of a

thirty-nine year old man I climbed to my feet, gasping for breath. I felt

weaker. Some of my energy was gone. There was a slight ache in the upper

part of my spine. This would fade. I felt a strange tension in the muscles

of my left hand. And I did not want to know what the changes were to a

certain part of myself as I looked down at my trousers, wondering if it still

functioned at all.

Not much had changed, not really anyway. I could have been much worse.

Had I botched it any more then I had I could have killed myself. My hair

was the same, thank The Gods. My expression and shape, this too was the same

as it always had been. Only now faint lines were just visible, slight

creases at the corners of my mouth but this could only be seen as I smiled at

my beloved. I would not see and study these slight flaws until later upon

staring in to a mirror. At that moment it had seemed worth it though. Of

course I more then likely could change my form in to any aged being but this

was my true from, the form that I was most used to and comfortable in, the

form of myself as I was a man on Earth.

Sarah looked around in awe as if she were a newborn child. She

knew as well as I did that now she was an immortal child.

It was nearly dawn but already in the throne room sat my father. I

woodier now if he even ever slept at all. I could sense his presence

precisely where it was in The Castle. He heard me racing down the hall with

another set of feet crying out. "Father. Father…I have brought a guest."

I walked in to the throne room, being slightly winded. And this

was where now about thirty goblins idly sat around my father who casually sat

on his throne and looked at myself the young woman whom I stood with.

He had not warned me of what would happen if I botched making

someone an immortal. And I do not think that he even cared. He totally

ignored that I now appeared to be a thirty-nine year old man.

"Well, son…" My father smiled "You have with you a companion,

I see. An… immortal bride?"

Sarah seemed dazed and confused. Her mind could hardly take

this. I wish I had known then that she was not able to bear it all.

"Yes, father. She is to be my wife, my Sarah."

"Are you sure that you are not just acting on impulse? Are you

sure this was a good idea?"

I did not answer right away. A part of me knew that he was right and

that I should have thought things through. All I could really then think to

say was "Father, I love her."

Sarah looked around in confusion.

She then saw one of the goblins in old battle armor and thought

of horror and of damnation and of horrible fates.

She gasped. "Humans… They were human?"

"Some, yes." Said Grall. "But you needn't be concerned with

that, my dear. They were enemies of the crown, nothing to concern yourself

with"

"Enemies to the crown…" She mumbled under her breath as she

turned her head in disgust. "And you intended to do that to me as well,

didn't you?" She yelled.

"No. No! Of course not, I love you." I said frantically. I was

hurt that she had doubted my intentions.

Sarah had lost her reason. She could not take the sudden changes in

her reality and the shock of seeing goblins that once walked as men made her

fragile sanity fly from her.

(Now, the only way an immortal such as us can die is by a weapon

stained in the blood of a hyne.)

Sarah looked around franticly to end this nightmare once and for

all. On a small stand in the corner was a candelabra and a dagger sat along

side it. The dagger was stained, the blade in a dark red, crimson substance.

I did not know yet what this was. And I still do not know why my father

left such a dangerous weapon for our kind out in such plane sight.

I tried to run to Sarah to stop upon an instinct that told me that her

life was in danger despite the fact that I had made her an immortal. I

tried to stop her but she only held her hand out to force me away from her.

"Demon, prince of the goblins! Horrible beast, get thee away

from me!" She cried.

I stopped in my tracks. This wounded me like a cutting, slash to

the heart.

Sarah reached a trembling hand to the dagger and whispered a

prayer. "Mother, forgive me."

"No!" I cried out.

It was too late. She gulped in pain as the icy steal penetrated

her bosom. The blood, hot and thick stained against the breast of her white

dress. She fell as I ran to her, she landed in my arms as I sobbed.

"Sarah… Oh… Sarah…" I cried. "What have you done…? What have I

done?"

She smiled up at me with glazed eyes. Blood was now in her mouth and

trickled as she choked, gagging on it. She said not a word but shut her

eyes. She seemed only asleep as the hyne's bloodstained dagger she had held

to stab herself fell to the floor with a clang. Her embrace was lost, her

touch gone, her body dead…

Sarah lay limp in my arms, her blood staining my hands,

magically, immortal blood as it was, stained against the palms of both my

hands forever.

And I wept.

I wept, rocking back and forth with her body in my arms not then

knowing that the blood that was smearing on to my palms and fingers wound

remain there forever and then not really even caring.

"No, it's not fair. It's not fair. We were supposed to be

together forever. It's not fair. It is not fair at all. It's not fair.

It's not fair. It's not fair! " I cried. Thinking back on it now I wonder

what truly is fair. Had I ever even seen fairness brought to life in any

form at all before in my life? What is fairness anyway really? Does it

exist at all? No!

For days and nights I just lay on my bed staring in to space as

tears welled in my eyes. I do not even recall how I had ended up on to my

bed. It's all so very vague to me now. I had held her crying and then as if

only a blink of an eye later I lay still for a long, long time staring at

nothing and everything all at once. I said not a word and did not even

acknowledge it when my father entered in to my bedchamber.

My father had burnt Sarah's remains in private. I had not been

there as it was done. I had done nothing for nearly a week but weep and

stare at the ceiling. That would be the last time I would ever cry for a

very long, long time.

Finally my father stepped up to me as I seemed nearly catatonic. I

wished that he would just go away. I wanted to world to end. I just wished

to be left alone to wallow in my misery and regret. My father lifted one of

my hands. I was limp to the touch, pliant. I did not care that my father

now moved me involuntarily.

My father looked over the crimson bloodstains that remained on

my hands. By now I had realized that there was no means by which I could

wash away the blood on my hands.

"You do know that no mortal can see this." My father said simply

as if it was nothing at all, just as my aging suddenly eighteen years had

been nothing.

"But I can!" I growled between clenched teeth that seemed almost

like small fangs.

These were the first words that I had said in days and my own

voice seemed alien to me. I did not like the sound of it's tone and it's

pitch.

"The stains will fade in time, maybe. You must not let your guilt

destroy you."

"But I had killed her! I had destroyed her! It was my fault!"

"No. She had destroyed herself. She was mad."

I turned on to my side to hide my face from my father and sobbed in

to my pillow. I did not like being seen in that position yet a part of me

did not care. I felt like a shattered thing, like one of my own crystals

carelessly dropped upon the floor. I wanted him to leave me be and leave me

alone to mourn forever.

"You must forget this." He said to me. "It's over. What's done

is done. What's said is said. We cannot change the past but only our

future."

"I do not care about my future." I said in a strange and distant

voice that I hardly recognized to be my own but of some desperate, weak

creature that I was trapped within.

"Do not talk like that." Said my father as he carefully took me by

the hand and slipped a leather glove over the blood stained fingers and

carefully did this to my other hand. "The stains will fade in time, I

promise you that, though I highly doubt that they'll ever go away all

together completely and no human eye can see them anyway."

I stared off vacantly, ignoring my father.

I did not like being a prince of the goblins. I missed my human

companions. I missed my home and I missed my horse back rides to the caves.

I missed my supposed human father and above all else I missed Sarah.

To: .

Subject: [labyfic] Beginnings 7 of 10

From:

Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 19:39:55 EST

--------

"I have brought a gift for you." My father held out his hand and

in his hand a perfect, ripe peach appeared.

I turned "What is it?"

"It's a present."

I looked at the thing strangely as if I had never seen a peach

before. It was as if a part of me did not recognize it to be a peach. Sure,

it was round. It was coloured right. It smelt sweet. It had fuzz but it did

not seem to be a real peach somehow. Thinking back on that moment now, there

was something distinctly odd about it though then I simply did not wish to

eat.

"It's not going to hurt you. There's no need to be concerned. I'd

do nothing to harm you. You know that. You have not eaten in days. You

cannot die of starvation but I do know that you are still

hungry and crave it nonetheless."

"I don't wish to eat. I wish to die." I said simply. Then I

believed that to be the truth though I really only wanted for the pain inside

of me to stop hurting so much.

"You don't mean that, do you, son?"

I sighed deeply. Then I reached out and took the peach in hand.

I felt the soft texture of it's fine fuzz. I could smell it's

sweet juice already. I held it to my mouth. I did not then notice the

strange look that was in my father's eyes as he waited with anticipation,

hoping that I did not guess what was really going on.

I bit in to the fruit. A strange and bitter after flavour haunted

my mouth. "It tastes strange…"

My head fell back with a slight moan as I realized that the room

was slowly beginning to turn all around me. "Father, what have you done to

me?" I gasped.

"Hush now, this will make you forget, forget all about Sarah and

that wasted life you had there on Earth. You belong to me now. You are my

son."

"I do not belong to anyone." At that I tried to climb to my feet

but staggered, stumbled, forgetting where my feet were because my legs were

growing numb. I fell on to the floor with a great thud. I forced myself up

with my hands. "I don't want to forget! Memories are all that I have left.

I don't want to for-"

To: .

Subject: [labyfic] Beginnings 8 of 10

From:

Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 19:40:24 EST

--------

A strange tinkling music filled the air around me. Everything was

dancing. My arms were shaking and my hands felt weak.

I just let go of myself.

I shut my eyes and then I believed that I had opened them again.

What was going on? This strange, icy mist that surrounded me.

"You will forget." Hissed the voices around me like serpents

if serpents had voices, demonic and vague hisses. "You will forget!"

"No. No… NO!" I cried as I swam through the air. My powers were

gone in this place. I could feel it. And the cicle was not around my neck

in this strange dream. Where was I?

I was dressed in strange garments, tight pants and a frock coat. My

frilled poet's shirt sticking out of my half buttoned blue jacket. I wore a

diamond brochette at my collar and my hair hung around my shoulders, freshly

combed.

"I won't forget! I won't let you make me forget! I won't. I won't.

I won't!"

I must assume now that my physical form remained on the floor of my

bedchamber.

I imagine how my father must have smiled as he leaned over and

picked the half eaten peach up that had rolled on to the floor along side I,

his unconscious son. A dark green ooze leaked from it.

I can picture him saying "So sorry that I had to do this to you,

son but you would have gone mad with grief. When you awaken all you will

know is that you are the prince and that you rule with me over the goblins."

I held my head as pale hands reached out from the fog and gently

touched me. "Forget. Forget. Forget! Forget, young prince, you must

forget. Forget!"

"No. No. NO!" I cried. The cool hands pressed against my

skin and sent shutters down my spine. It felt so real.

Deliberately I kept trying to think of Sarah. I kept trying to

think of my human father and of his home village but soon the images grew

vague. I struggled long and hard but I was failing.

"Yesss…" The voices cooed as they hissed. "That's right…

Forget…"

I did not know where I was. I was surrounded by opulent beauty.

Candled burnt all around me as I stood among many strange and exotic men and

women all in masks. Were these the voices that had chanted to me? What

voices? The ones that had told me to forget… But forget what? …A dream, a

bad dream about a creature unlike myself named Sarah…

Sarah… "Sarah?" I called out. The dancers in this strange hall

did not seem to hear me. Sarah, why did that name bring me so much pain?

And what was I doing here?

One of the female dances gracefully waltzed by me in a long and

flowing gown. She took me by the hand and dragged me toward the dance floor.

Who was this beautiful woman? Where had she come from? Was this the

mysterious Sarah? No. This was some sort of illusion, some hallucination.

For hours, in vague confusion I danced with this stranger in my

arms. She was beautiful and graceful and she smiled slyly at me from behind

her wooden painted mask as if she knew a wonderfully dark secret that I knew

absolutely nothing about.

Gradually I began to realize that the other dancers were

slowly moving in around me. I was becoming claustrophobic.

He was growing frantic; hating the on coming eyes staring out from

painted faces and paper masks.

I broke free from the woman's embrace that started to laugh at me.

I ran to the walls and realized that I was in a great crystal ball.

I grabbed up a stool and threw it at the wall. The dancers dissolved and I

was falling fast.

Why did this seem so familiar?

I was falling, falling fast.

I felt it. With a great convulsion I was back in my own body.

A strange man stood over me. "Welcome back, son."

My father deliberately kept his thoughts concealed from me, a

power all shape shifters possess.

The strange man helped me climb to my feet.

"Uh… Thank you."

Son? That's right. This was my father, wasn't it? And I was

Prince of The Goblins. I was The Goblin Prince. But who was I before that?

Who was my mother? How had I gotten this title? What was going on? How did

I know and why did I only barely know that my own name was Jareth.

What am I doing here? Where have I come from? Why can't I remember

my youth and why can I only scarcely recall that my name is Jareth?" I asked.

My father smiled. "All questions will be resolved in time. You are

Jareth, Prince of The Goblins and you are my son, that is all you need to

know."

"Yes, but that is not all that I WANT to know."

"Come with me."

I was very confused but he felt that I should obey though a part

of me was crying out not to trust him, my own father.

There was a horrible smell in the air and the trees for miles

around were dead. It reeked here of feces and decay. A bubbling, gurgling,

greenish brown swamp was the source of this nightmare stench.

"Where are we?" I asked as I held my nose.

"We are near The Bog of Eternal Stench."

"The Bog of Eternal Stench?" The name sounded somewhat familiar.

"Yes, that's right, The Bog of Eternal Stench. "

I only vaguely recalled the words "Bog of Eternal Stench." What

a horrid place this was - The bog of Eternal Stench.

"Come-" Said my father to me. "-let us go back to the castle."

I only nodded. Why was I so confused? Why was my mind so

clouded? And why did I have such a strange craving for peaches?

My head was throbbing, I felt weak as if I had drunk too much ale.

I thought that I might get sick if the headache did not go away and upon

thinking this the headache, the throbbing, pulsing pain disappeared and I

felt relieved.

A small bridge stood near The Bog of Eternal Stench where an odd

and obviously quite mad fox like goblin creature stood on duty though no one

had actually given him the order to guard that old ramshackle bridge.

I heard this creature mumble to his "stead" a large, hairy dog in

English that sounded like. "What, Ho, Ambrosias, it appears that thy Goblin

King has brought with him a quite confused heir. Me thinks that even here in

this lush and fragrant place that a great change is at hand."

My father and I walked for miles and yet my thoughts still were

fogged. It was as if I was still lost in a vague dream. Why couldn't I

remember?

When we reached the castle I felt oddly comfortable and secure. Now

this I did in deed remember. I was Prince of The Goblins.

I stepped in to the throne room behind this regal man, my father.

The goblins were not here. They had been dismissed. They had been sent off

to do some petty task or another.

My father sat down casually upon his throne with a sigh.

"But what was I doing at The Bog of Eternal Stench, Father?"

"You were sleep walking."

I reached for my temples. "Do I do that often? I do not recall."

:"No, not really." My father smiled. "Come sit beside me."

"Yes, Father." I said.

As I walked by the old candelabra I stopped abruptly. A chill ran

up and down my spine. At my feet crimson blood was stained in to the carpet

and on the table remained the bloodied dagger. Some fool goblin had put it

back in it's place as if it had not been the tool in the aid of my beloved's

death.

For the only time ever I was grateful for the incompetence of The

Goblin Court.

My mind was flooded. I stared at the dagger as if it burned me

and in away it had. Then I looked at my father and then down at my hands

with the leather gloves on.

Raising one hand I carefully, cautiously removed the glove. I

stared in disgust and fear at the blood that stained my, pale trembling hand.

I remembered all of it and a part of me wished that it was not true but it

was.

I quickly placed the glove back on and looked to his father who

pretended as if nothing had happened though he feared that his son's strong

will had broken his spell of forgetfulness.

"Is something the matter, son?"

I nearly growled. "You damned beast… Go to Hell! You tried to

take my memories, my past, and my freedom… ...All that I hold dear. You

tried to destroy me."

Angrily I allowed a crystal to materialize in my hand. I was not

yet sure as to what I was going to do with it though.

Before I could throw it a crystal had formed in my father's hand.

This one he threw at me. It came at me too fast. I could not move in time

to get away from it.

I fell to my knees. My hands were shackled in iron links that

attached to a small extension of chain that reached up from the floor. I

was chained to the floor, the chains only allowing me to climb to my knees

but no higher then that for the chains were connected to an iron loop at the

base of a floor tile.

I kneeled helplessly, as I looked at the ground and at my own

crystal shattered against the old, dingy floor tiles.

Grall stepped from his throne and walked over to me.

I looked up at my father with what might have easily been a

combination of both fear and rage.

"You have it all wrong, my dear boy. I was only trying to protect

you from your pain and from yourself. You would have done something even

more impulsive and stupid then clumsily, botching making that peasant girl,

Sarah, an immortal." He practically had spat the name Sarah.

At this my eyes went wide. The iron links to my restraints making

it impossible for me to rise though I tried to. And the struggle only made

my father laugh a cruel and malicious laugh. I did not like the sensation of

helplessness. I had never been in such a humiliating state in all of my

whole life. I hated it.

"I never wanted to forget! I wanted my pain! I wanted to

remember! And you know this!" I cried.

"You would have made of your immortality an eternal

damnation!" My father said as he raised his hand and in anger smacked me in

my defenselessness.

I, on reflex flinched but over all did not react to the sudden and

sharp blow. I was tempted to cry out for him to never touch me again but I

decided not to give him the satisfaction of a response.

I composed myself as best as I could in my pathetic position on

the floor. "Then so be it. It would have been my prerogative."

"No."

"No, you never cared if I was in grief. You only feared that

you would have lost your power you had over me. You wanted to control me,

everything about me, even my mind. You never wanted a son. You wanted a

companion, a human servant with human awareness and your personality whom

would be your eternal devoted servant."

"I only wanted you to be grateful and to help you to be formed

in my, the proper kingly image."

"Well, guess what, I am not you. And I am not grateful." I

practically had spat the word grateful. "I am nothing like you! And I will

NOT fear you! I do not love you! And I will not be your slave, Father!"

"No." Growled my father. "You are mine. And I do care about

you. You are my son. And you are the prince. And you may keep your

precious memories if you must. Apparently I cannot take them from YOU

anyway. Damn you, your will is as strong as my own and your powers are as

great!"

I turned away in disgust and discomfort but then I turned my head

again to face my father. I looked up in to his father's eyes. I saw the

fear. My father was losing control. And he did not like that. I knew that I

must rebel against him and that the only way to defeat my own father was by

renouncing the power that he held over me.

"Let me go!" I demanded.

"My dear boy, you are in no position to be telling anyone what to

do. And I will let you go, when you acknowledge the power that I hold over

you and you are willing to accept my authority."

"Never!"

"Then you are going to be there for quite some time."

My father walked from the room and left me there, helpless and

cold on the stone floor.

Could I use my magick powers in these restraints?

I focussed my energies. No, those chains were made by magick and

bound magick as well. I could not call upon a crystal to form in my hand.

But had not my father said that my powers might be greater then his own? I

needed to concentrate. I knew that I could do this if I only tried. I could

not make the crystals but the power still existed within me and if I could

find the strength to forsake my father's power then I could be free and

escape my father's control once and for all.

To: .

Subject: [labyfic] Beginnings Part 9 of 10

From:

Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 19:41:02 EST

--------

A day passed and then a night. It felt so degrading that I had

to sleep on that cold floor with my hands bound like that.

The next day came and the warm sun beamed down on me from an open

window. Birds were chirping and flower blossoms in near by trees were

blooming. I could not move to walk to the window but I saw the light in the

topaz sky and I could smell the fresh pollen.

A small goblin came in with a tray of food, some bread and a

fruit pudding of some kind on a tray with a goblet filled with fresh cow's

milk, this was set before me in all of my pathetic, uncharacteristic humility.

I did not look at the tiny goblin that served me but only

whispered in a defeated tone. "Thank you."

I had not eaten but I had drunk the milk. Two hours later the

goblin returned to remove the tray and as he left my father came in to the

room dressed in a fine white, ancient tunic.

"Will you admit to the truth of my power now? Will you finally

give in, you stubborn brat and be the prince that you are supposed to be?

Will you finally submit to me?"

I bowed my head as if defeated. It must have seemed that I was

about to say yes but then I did not. I concentrated all my energy and then

started to speak.

"No."

"No?" Grall, my father smiled in mock amusement though I could

tell that he was getting agitated.

"Jareth," My father said simply. "Give up. You cannot possibly

win."

I ignored this.

"Through secrets untold and hardships beyond number I had fought

against your powers and won. I have as much strength as you do, Father. I

will take back my freedom and life, that which you have stolen away from me

for my will is as strong as yours and my powers are as great!

"Don't say that." My father hissed as he stepped back. "Stop!"

I renounced my father's power and embraced my own and

focusing all of my energy and with my own inner power I made the chains

vanish. They disappeared in to oblivion.

I now stood up right and stepped over to the small stand where the

dagger still sat.

I looked back at my father.

"You are no match for me, Jareth. I own you. I made you. You are

mine!" He said.

"No. I am a free man. You have no power over me, father. You

have no power over me. You have no power over me!"

With that I grabbed the dagger and with incredible aim I threw it

and it pierced my father's heart.

My father fell to his knees, shocked at what I, his own son had

done to him.

Grall pulled the bloodied dagger from his chest and watched it

fall.

He was dying.

He looked up at me with a pleading gaze. Then he grew angry and out

raged.

"Damn you, Jareth. Now, you have two lives on your conscience, and

there is even more blood on your hands then before."

My father fell over dead.

Coldly I just looked at him. I waved my hand and casually a

crystal appeared. I threw this at his father's body and it disappeared.

"No, father, damn you. Damn you for making me know the truth. Damn

you for stealing my love and killing my innocence. Damn you and your entire

Goblin Court… My goblin court. For now I am Jareth, The Goblin King."

My father, Grall was gone and I was the new King of The

Underground. I seemed cruel and cold at times. Some said that I was

heartless or was it just that I repressed all the pain inside of me. I heard

the rumours and gossip. I was indifferent. I did not care.

The goblins eagerly accepted me as their king, forgetting about

Grall as quickly as one forgets a stocking lost in the laundry.

The years passed by slowly and I lived as the king, lonely,

depressed and a bit hateful at times and constantly trying to prove that my

power to be superior to all else.

The days came and went, over lapping each other in a repetition.

Legends on Earth were formed and forgotten about me and of my goblins. I

only left my Kingdome once in a while and only to seek those who believed in

me and in my power. And for these people I did favours for. Sometimes it

was kindly and sometimes cruelly, such as stealing children as the cruelest

thing that I would do and playing the healer for a sick child the kindest.

I did not care as to what I did or whom I did it for or against

so long as the people who saw this believed in my power and believed in me,

strengthening me.

Once a young girl who had believed in the old fairy legends fell in

to a lake and I had in a burst of sudden good intent grabbed her out of the

icy water. I had appeared suddenly beside her as the lapping waves tried to

catch her and she choked and gagged for air.

"I have you, dear." I had said as I carried her to shore, seemingly

untouched by the angry waters. "Don't worry."

As the young girl sat on the shoreline with me, warming herself

in the summer sunlight, her long golden hair blowing in the wind she turned

to me.

"Thank you. I am ever so grateful that you had been there but I

must ask of you now, pray to tell me, who are you, sir?"

"I am Jareth, The Goblin King." I replied simply.

The girl had laughed at this statement, wounding my pride.

"I don't believe in all that nonsense about goblins."

I smiled knowing that if this were true then I would not have been

able to have saved her. "My dear, I am as real as a dream. I am as solid as

darkness. And I am standing before you, am I not?"

"Dreams?" asked the little girl. "You can offer me my dreams?"

"But of course. If you believe in me I can."

I waved his hand and a crystal ball appeared in a wave of cool

mist.

"I am not sure that I can believe in you, to be quite honest, sir,

a Goblin King." Said the girl honestly.

"Well," I said to the girl. "Now that I see you and now that you

see me, I will believe in you if you would believe in me."

"What do you mean by that?" Asked the girl.

I began to sing to the child Believe in me.

"If you would just believe in me as I would believe in you

We'd find a way together in magick for that is what dreamers do,

If you would just believe in me as I would believe in you

I'd take you away with me for that is what I know how to do

And in a kingdom far away, that is where we shall stay

For in our belief in each other I'd find a love in you

As there is not another that can give the gift I have here for you,

I hold in my hand a gift from another distant land,

Where here at hand nothing is what it seems

And a crystal can hold your most precious dreams,"

I then began to rotate the crystal ball on my fingers. It's tiny

facets were catching the light and acting as unseen prisms beamed tiny

rainbows all over the young girl's face. At this wonder she laughed.

"If you would just believe in me as I would believe in you

I'd show you mountains of gold and treasures and wonder to behold

And you would always be young; we would never grow old,"

The girl reached out as I held out for her the crystal. She wanted her

prize.

"If you would just believe in me as I would believe in you

I'd take your tears away and help you to seize the day

And we'd dream together forever in another way,

If you would just believe in me as I would believe in you

I would grant you the secret key to make all your dreams come true,

For no power is stronger and no love can last longer

Then that conceived in a belief founded for and by another,

Just believe in me,

Believe…"

"I do believe. I do." Said the girl.

Her eyes were wide with wonder as images of fairies and dragons and

creatures of mythical and enchanted forms filled the foggy crystal in front

of her. And then it showed her The Labyrinth.

"And…"

I continued as if he had not heard and been filled with the

power of her belief.

"If you would just believe in me as I would believe in you

This day we'd find Forever together and Forever is where we'd stay,

If you would just believe in me as I would believe in you

I would take you to the edge of the sea

For I would know that you'd believe in me

And you would see wonders

beyond your mortal sense of a conformist reality,

Yes, darling, you and I would be free in a private land of fantasy,

If you would just believe in me as I would believe in you

I would sing to you of love and just of what I'd propose to do

If you would just believe in me as I believe in you,

For I do believe in you, yes I do,

Yes, Just believe…

Believe in me,"

The girl took the crystal and smiled.

I, feeling that what had needed to be done had been accomplished here

vanished in a burst of glittering magick dust.

From the safety of The Underground I watched the little girl from a

crystal orb.

The girl sat on the shore until a young man, a poet by the name of

Lewis came looking for her.

"Alice… Oh, Alice dear… Where are you, love?"

"Oh, here I am, Mr. Carol." The girl called. "I have the most

amazing thing to show you."

She held out the crystal to her friend the poet.

"And who pray tell, gave you that, dear?"

"The Goblin King."

"I beg your pardon? The… The what?"

"And if you turn it this way and look in to it, it shall show

you your dreams. I thought you might like it… You know, for your writing.

It can inspire you, Lewis."

Alice gave Lewis Carol the crystal and since Lewis was an

imaginative and creative man a lot of his dreams were materialized in that

crystal and these metaphorical images combined with Alice's fantasies

inspired him to write a children's book. I think you know already of the

title.

To: .

Subject: [labyfic] Beginnings part 10 of 10

From:

Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 19:42:20 EST

--------

In that same century I had appeared to a man named Charles who

was writing a set of Christmas stories. Now Mr. Dickens had not yet written

A Christmas Carol but he had heard tell of a tale of a Sexton who had been

wished away to The Underground. I had helped Mr. Dickens get the facts

straight for his story The Goblins who stole a Sexton and yes The goblin king

is in it.

I also inspired Hans Christian Anderson and The brothers grim with a tale

about the trouble that I had once with a young princess. The tale though not

contained in these pages was called The princess and the goblins.

Also I had appeared to the poet Christina Rossetti and inspired a poem

called The Goblin Market about the mischief that some of my goblins had

caused with two young girls on Earth when tempting them with the famous fruit

from The Underground.

Also another poet wrote a poem simply titled The goblins and this was

by Berni Writson.

And later in the later part of the twentieth century I would

appear to Jim Henson and tell a special story to him.

It was tales such as this and my appearance to others that kept a

few to believe in him and also kept my powers from fading off in to oblivion.

But soon encounters such as these grew fewer and fewer. And as the

years passed I had less and less to do with the human world and I did not

come and go from realities quite as often as I had done before now.

I knew as I had killed my father that I could not return to what

had been my home. And I had watched from a distance in owl form as my

supposed father and friends had died and their children and children after

died. After about three centuries of this I did not want to keep track

anymore or I could not.

It was simply too painful for me.

No one walked through my Labyrinth but the mythical tenants and

their children and children's children.

Hoggle was aging slowly but gradually. And not much had changed

in the ever-changing maze for no one was there to care or notice or enhance

the maze with distortions with their own imaginations with images and

metaphors from the Earthly reality.

I was in such a state that I felt almost that I was dying. It

seemed that no one believed in me any longer at all. I did not exist within

the minds of anyone, it seemed, and this was draining my powers, nearly

killing me but my own faith in my own existence sustained me as well as it

could.

On Earth the twentieth century had begun (This was before I had

appeared to Jim Henson) and was now nearing it's close.

It was 1982 and over time in human disguise, I in the guise of

fashionable and eccentric rock stars had many male and female lovers, all

relationships being of strictly based around lust and not of actual love.

One of these many lovers had been Linda Williams, an American actress mother

of then eleven year old Sarah Williams.

Linda was dying from a wasting disease and her daughter and

husband knew nothing about it. Two years after our initial meeting Linda,

being a great actress had convinced her family that she was completely

healthy.

I had liked her though not totally had I truly loved her. And

since Linda believed in me I offered her a single wish. She wished to

disappear from her family's life and convince them that she was happy as she

died.

I complied, playing the role of Jeremy, Linda's supposed lover and

took her away to live out the remained of her life in a paradise haven in a

secret part of The Labyrinth among servants and beautiful flowers. She had

in fact died happy.

An elderly woman goblin known simply as Agnes and a wise man with

a talking bird hat had watched over Linda in her final hours.

And as Linda had wished her husband and daughter only thought she

had run off with Jeremy, a wealthy producer.

I, in the image of Jeremy before taking her mother away gave her then

thirteen-year-old daughter, Sarah a present. It was a music box.

And as I had handed her the box I had sung to the pretty young

girl for I did in deed have an exceptional voice.

The song I sang was called The figurine on the music box.

"The Porcelain figure dances under the moonlight

To a song that she creates as she twirls through the night

Singing a song of love and of the eternal fight,

Wind her key and listen to me for she sings of our history

In her bitter, sweet melody, of life and it's tragic comedy,

And of the way that it should be, she holds a secret that only I can see,

Listen to the music box song, It shan't take too long

If you would only hear her song, it proves that in love I was not wrong

And the dreamer was right all along, if you would hear the music box song,

Listen to her song tinkling away; Let the dancer dance and the music play,

Make a promise of love and let it stay, that is the only price we pay

If we listen to what the dancer has to say

As the song with me shall always stay,

Watch the illusion of dancers in the hall; watch them bow, one and all,

Hear the dancer answer the call, see her moving now, she shall never fall,

And as she moves on her metallic stand, I touch her cold and porcelain hand

And one more time I wind the key as to her I am God, this I demand,

And so are the rules of a child's fantasyland,

And so the dancer spins one final time to song with lyrics that rhyme,

And in my head the song is never dead

So long as the dreamer is asleep in her bed,

Good night my child,

Free and mild,

I shall play again the music box song of the old style,"

This little girl, that Sarah Williams was acted just like my long

near forgotten, though never totally forgotten love, Sarah. Could this have

been his Sarah's reincarnation? Well, if it was she was definitely too young

to touch just now. And did I even have the right to try and win her again,

perhaps this time sparing her fragile mind?

Oh, but even if it was wrong I still ached for her.

Sarah believed in goblins. A book describing The Labyrinth and

all the creatures in it and her own later adventures appeared on her dresser

mysteriously one evening. It was in the format of an old play.

Sarah wanted to be the girl, not knowing that this character was

in fact she.

Sarah's father remarried and soon the family was blessed with a

son, Toby.

Ah, but Toby was not actually of Sarah's father's blood. I, taking

on the appearance of Sarah's father had impregnated Sarah's stepmother with

Toby.

Now, what I had not known was that Sarah's stepmother was part

fey and in so did not die upon giving birth as expected.

I thought this to be most amusing and interesting and never told

the woman of whom the baby's actual father was.

But when Toby would reach manhood I, his father would come to him

again so that he might claim his birthright, as I would come to him once as a

child.

Two years had passed since Linda Williams' death, four years

since I had first met the woman and her eleven-year-old daughter.

It was time for me to visit my son and the lovely, young

Sarah.

I took on my old favourite form of the barn owl and flew out to the

Earthly realm. Young Sarah, now fifteen stood in a park and was quoting the

book.

I fluttered my wings from a tree branch in excitement.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered… I have fought

my way here to the castle-beyond The Goblin City- to take back the child that

you have stolen… For my will is as strong as yours is and my kingdom is as

great…" The girl tried to concentrate and storm clouds slowly spread across

the sky. "For my will is as strong as yours… And my kingdom is as great…

Damn, I can never remember that line."

She pulled the little red book marked. The Labyrinth out from

under her cloak.

"You have no power over me."

Just then the clock struck seven PM.

Sarah was startled. She looked to her dog, Merlin. "Oh, no.

Merlin, I don't believe it! It's seven o'clock!"

She began to run, under her long gown one could see blue jeans

clearly. "Come one, Merlin. Come on!" She called and the dog followed her

as she ran panting down the street.

I, in my owl form followed her.

Her stepmother stood in the doorway as Sarah ran up the porch of her

home not too far away.

Without a sound I perched on a tree near the baby's nursery. Was I

really falling in love with Sarah?

Sarah held the child in her arms. "Oh, stop it. Stop! I'll say the

words. No, I mustn't. I mustn't say… "

The child's cry beyond the din of the rain and the flash of lighting

and rumbling distant thunder was dreadful. I had not heard the idiotic

goblins that were paying attention to young Sarah's childish and pathetic

rant.

She held the child out and up over her head like an over dramatic

actress in a theatre show. "Goblin King, Goblin King, where ever you may be,

take this child of mine far away from me."

I sighed from deep within my owl form.

"Oh, stop it!" Sarah said to the screaming child. "Oh, I wish I

did not what to say to make the goblins come and take you away."

Her face went blank. She was going to say it.

"Oh, no!" I thought. "Please don't let my idiot goblins be paying

attention to this, not now, not like this. No, this was meant for later-

when she's older! Not now!"

I did not mind the idea of raising Toby as I could in The

Underground but the idea of confronting young Sarah just now made me feel

uncomfortable and secretly a small fraction of my soul was intimidated by

this girl's will and strength.

Sarah spoke "I wish… I wish… I wish the goblins would come and

take you away…" she walked over to the light switch and turned off the

electric lamp. "…right now."

Oh, damn it all Hell! They had heard. Now I had to improvise.

(For this story watch the film Labyrinth)

Thirteen years have passed since Labyrinth was made in to a film. I

have married Sarah, she is My Queen though that is a strange story unto

itself. We live in The Castle at the center of The Labyrinth.

My court now consists more of human-like members then of my idiotic

goblin subjects.

After I had rummaged through my father's old journals and notes I had

discovered of the existence of my fraternal twin sister, Christine. I found

my long lost sister who do to developing her magical skills early shall

always remain seventeen years old in physical age. She is married to a king

from a neighboring land now who I happened to have had slept with once.

I have seven children, one of which has died. There are my

children, Toby, Adier, Aradia, Tommy, Jacen (May he now rest in peace), Kim

and Crystal. There are my pets, Uni, the half elf, half unicorn and Ziggy…

There is my adviser Thomas, his son Marcus, and his daughter Faye, and my

ward, his wife, Jerrie.

There are my niece and nephew the twins of my sister Christine.

There is Starlet, my nephew William's betrothed. There is Tariel, an allied

Queen from a neighboring kingdom and her brother Eric. There is Mel and

Kayla, my walking headaches. There is Adalia, my former lover, the fairy

princess who is the mother of two of my children. There is Byron, another

former lover who is the royal poet. There is the young Mr. Reede, my

daughter Crystal's tutour and unconventional nanny. There is Lillie and Dru,

Jack and Frank, Julian, and I shudder to think of it, Aradia's lover, Puck.

And of course there is my lovely wife, The Queen, Sarah.

I believe this is the information you all had wanted to know.

.

Sincerely,

Jareth, The Goblin King

Counter signed: Raven-

Jareth's personal assistant, and public opinion manager and moderator.

(This is the sort of employment one gains if you find that you cannot solve

The Labyrinth)

PS, I did not lose my mind. I just misplaced it. That's all. By any chance have

you seen it?


End file.
